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Entry Level Game Programmer Jobs in Long Beach, CA

... games, Wi-Fi, and now Bluetooth headphone connectivity! How exciting would it be to be a part of ... The Software Quality Assurance Engineer I is an entry-level individual contributor within the ...

Entry Level Game Programmer information

See Long Beach, CA salary details

$11.6K

$97.4K

$182.4K

How much do entry level game programmer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level game programmer in Long Beach, CA is $97,404.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $25,200.00 and $153,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an entry level game programmer do?

An entry-level game programmer works to develop application code for video games. Your duties in this career include coding different complex sequences and algorithms that can adapt to video game design. You can choose to work in a specialty of video game programming, such as graphics, network creation, artificial intelligence, or building the user interface. You take the design team’s ideas and assist them in bringing the content to life in a way that a computer understands. Other responsibilities may include trying out a prototype, testing the software for bugs and code errors once the team completes it, communicating with the designers, artists, and writers, and helping to integrate functions into the game.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an entry level game programmer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Game Programmer, you need a solid grasp of programming languages such as C++ or C#, basic game development principles, and often a relevant degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine and version control systems such as Git is commonly expected. Strong problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating with designers and artists. These combined skills enable you to contribute efficiently to game development projects, troubleshoot issues, and work productively within multidisciplinary teams.

What are some common challenges entry level game programmers face when starting out, and how can they overcome them?

Entry level game programmers often encounter challenges such as adapting to large codebases, understanding existing game engines, and collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams. It can be overwhelming to navigate legacy code or pick up new tools quickly. To overcome these hurdles, it's helpful to ask questions, seek mentorship from senior developers, and actively participate in code reviews. Building strong communication skills and regularly studying project documentation also play a key role in ensuring a smooth transition into professional game development.

What is the difference between Entry Level Game Programmer vs Junior Game Developer?

AspectEntry Level Game ProgrammerJunior Game Developer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, Programming skillsBachelor's in Computer Science or related, basic programming knowledge
Work EnvironmentGame studios, software companiesGame studios, tech firms
Employer & Industry UsageCommonly used in gaming industry for entry rolesUsed interchangeably in gaming and software development
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding entry-level programming roles in gamingExploring junior development positions in game development

Entry Level Game Programmers and Junior Game Developers often share similar educational backgrounds and work environments. However, the term 'Entry Level Game Programmer' typically emphasizes programming skills specifically for game development, while 'Junior Game Developer' may include broader responsibilities like design and testing. Both roles serve as starting points in the gaming industry, with overlapping skills but slightly different focus areas.

Is it hard to get a job as an entry level game programmer?

Entry level game programmers typically need a strong foundation in programming languages like C++ or C#, along with knowledge of game engines such as Unity or Unreal. Competition can be high, but building a portfolio with personal projects or internships can improve chances of securing an entry-level position.

What job categories do people searching Entry Level Game Programmer jobs in Long Beach, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for Entry Level Game Programmer jobs in Long Beach, CA are:

What cities near Long Beach, CA are hiring for Entry Level Game Programmer jobs?

Cities near Long Beach, CA with the most Entry Level Game Programmer job openings:

Infographic showing various Entry Level Game Programmer job openings in Long Beach, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 69% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $97,404 per year, or $46.8 per hour.

Associate Site Reliability Engineer

Activision Blizzard, Inc.

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$30.53 - $56.48/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 6 days ago


Activision Blizzard rating

8.3

Company rating: 8.3 out of 10

Based on 11 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

16th of 78 rated media


Job description

Job Title:Associate Site Reliability EngineerRequisition ID:R027696Job Description:

Job Title: Associate Site Reliability Engineer

Reporting To: Manager, Engineering

Department:Marketing Technology

Location: Santa Monica, Ca

Overview

The Associate Site Reliability Engineer helps keep Marketing Technology services reliable, observable, and supportable in production. This role is designed as an entry-level-to-early-career SRE position, but grounded in the type of operational work seen in the team today: incident triage, troubleshooting infrastructure and application behavior, improving observability, and reducing toil through automation.

Key responsibilities

  • Monitor service health, respond to alerts, and participate in incident response for cloud and application environments.

  • Investigate reliability issues across Kubernetes, networking, DNS, application runtime behavior, and dependent services, escalating when appropriate.

  • Build and maintain dashboards, alerting, runbooks, and operational documentation that improve detection and recovery speed.

  • Contribute small automations and scripts that reduce repetitive operational work and improve environment hygiene.

  • Support release and deployment reliability by validating changes, helping with rollback readiness, and improving change safety.

  • Participate in post-incident follow-up and help close corrective actions that prevent recurrence.

Qualifications

  • 1-3 years of experience in SRE, DevOps, cloud infrastructure, or software engineering internships / early-career roles.

  • Familiarity with Linux, HTTP, DNS, containers, Kubernetes, Git-based workflows, and scripting in Bash, Python, or similar languages.

  • Exposure to monitoring, logs, metrics, dashboards, and incident management practices.

  • Strong troubleshooting mindset, clear communication, and willingness to learn in a production-support environment.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We're driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Guitar Hero. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our "press start" is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We're not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we're forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We're in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater - this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request toaccomodations@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

  • Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
  • 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
  • Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
  • Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
  • If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $30.53 - $56.48 Hourly. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role's range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

What Activision Blizzard employees say

Pay

Benefits

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Workplace

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About Activision Blizzard

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Industry

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

Company size

5,001 - 10,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Monica, CA, US

Year founded

2008

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